


A Final Gift

by MsBarrows



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: Dubious Consent, F/M, Kink Meme, Prompt Fic, Sibling Incest, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, k!meme, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-27
Updated: 2011-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-25 15:02:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/271613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsBarrows/pseuds/MsBarrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a k!meme prompt, in which Varania and Fenris have sex. Marking as dub-con since Fenris is not informed of their sibling relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Final Gift

She knew she shouldn't have come back, but she had to see him. Her brother, her beloved Leto. He'd always looked out for mother and her, always. And he'd always said he'd find a way to win freedom for herself and their mother, and then miraculously he had done so, competing in and actually winning a viscous competition in the arena, to winner to be taken on by the mage Danarius as his bodyguard and granted any reasonable boon. Leto had asked that the mage purchase and free his mother and sister; Danarius had done so.

Freedom without Leto was proving to be a more painful gift then she'd thought it would be. She missed her brother. Missed, too, the certainties of being a slave; their home may have been a single small room, but it had a solid roof and sturdy walls, they'd received adequate – if bland – food and good plain clothing, and as long as they worked hard and continued to please their master they'd had little fear of harm. Being free... meant being free to scrabble for any job anyone was willing to give to two random elves, to work harder then they ever before for every scrap of food on their table, for every rag on their back, for enough coin to pay the rent on a hovel no larger and far less clean or well-built then that tiny room had been.

She missed that room, with mother's pallet in one corner, and her and Leto's in the other. How many nights had they lain there, huddled for warmth under their blankets, talking in whispers about their dreams of freedom. Now she slept by herself, under a single thin blanket, listening to their mother's worsening cough, daily having to decide if she could purchase more medicine for her and still have enough left for their rent, and thinking what foolish children they'd been.

There was rumour of work up north. And if they left the city, things would be cheaper. It was a tempting thought.

But before they went anywhere, she wanted to see Leto, one last time, to know that he, at least, was doing well.  


* * *

Finding out where Danarius' mansion was, was not that hard. Finding out a way to get in and see Leto, on the other hand, was.

She lingered for a while near the gate, hoping that perhaps Danarius would pass by on his way to or from somewhere, with Leto in tow. It had been foolish to come here, she realized, as foolish as her childhood dreams of freedom had been. She was about to give up and return home, ashamed at herself for having wasted a day that she could have spent in working, when a dark-haired human woman emerged from the gate and walked right up to her. She wanted to turn and flee, from a mix of embarrassment and fright, but found herself standing frozen in place.

“You have been watching this house quite closely for several hours now,” the woman said, voice sharp with suspicion. “I would know why.”

“Please, Mistress, I meant no harm...” Varania stuttered out.

The woman's brows curved in faint frown. “Wait. I have seen you somewhere before,” she said. “Now where was it...” she fell silent, scrutinizing Varania's face intently for a moment, then a very slight smile creased her lips. “The sister. That slave Danarius acquired – he freed the mother and the sister. You're her, aren't you?”

“Yes, Mistress... Leto's sister,” Varania answered nervously.

“How... _interesting_. And you are here why?”

Varania swallowed nervously. _You're a free person now_ , she reminded herself. Not a slave. “I... I had hoped to see Leto for a moment, to be sure he is well. Our mother and I are thinking of leaving the city in search of work... there is little anyone will hire us for here,” she admitted quietly, hating that she'd even made the admission. “I doubt we will ever return, and I wanted to see him... one last time,” she confessed, voice nearly a whisper.

“How thoughtful of you,” the woman said. She stood there for a long moment, scrutinizing Varania, then smiled. “I believe I can be of help of you. I have become quite... fond, of Leto, since he joined our master's household. It would please me to be able to reunite the two of you, however briefly. I must warn you though, you will find him... changed. He is Leto no longer; he is Fenris, our master's beloved pet.”

Varania swallowed again, and wrung her fingers. She wasn't sure she liked the way the woman was looking at her, or the way she'd said the word _pet_. Or the thought of Leto changing. But... she had to see him. “Please, mistress, if you can arrange for me to see him, you will have my undying gratitude.”

The woman smiled. “Come with me, then, and I'll make arrangements. My name is Hadriana; I am Danarius' apprentice.”

Varania nodded, and followed her into the house.  


* * *

The woman Hadriana led her to her rooms. It was clear the apprentice was held in high esteem by Danarius; the rooms were large, ariy and well-lit, and beautifully furnished. Varania felt hideously ugly, filthy and out-of-place in these fine surroundings. Hadriana seemed to sense her discomfort, and gave her a reassuring smile.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” she said, waving one hand languidly at a small cluster of seats, low and well-padded and well supplied with an assortment of pillows that could be arranged to support one in comfort.

Varania hesitated, thinking in horror of how her clothes would leave marks on the fine pale fabrics. They'd seemed clean enough when she'd left home this morning, but 'clean enough' in the alienage slums and here in a magister's estate were two entirely different things.

“Please, I _insist_ ,” Hadriana said. “I adore your brother, I want so much to learn more about him – his past, what he was like as a boy, what sort of things he liked... oh, please do sit down.”

In the face of the woman's enthusiastic and welcoming smile, Varania caved in and sat down. Hadriana smiled happily, and sat down nearby, picking up and ringing a little bell. A servant – no, a slave, Varania corrected herself, noticing the discrete, ornate collar around the elven woman's shapely neck – came in within seconds. “Some snacks and drinks for two,” Hadriana told her, then returned her attention to Varania, and smiled again, warmly.

In the face of that kind look, Varania found her worries fading away. She would never have believed that she'd find herself sitting sharing tea and little frosted cakes with a magister's apprentice in such fine, beautiful surroundings, but that's exactly what she found herself doing. Her worries and self-consciousness faded in the face of Hadriana's kindness and obvious interest. Hadriana was just so _easy_ to talk to; she found herself telling the woman things about Leto she'd never told anyone before, things about him that not even their mother knew, right down to his secret dreams, pet peeves and phobias.

She lost track of time entirely, and was startled when she realized it was early evening already, dusk falling outside the windows.

“Thank you so much for telling me all about Leto,” Hadriana told her, smiling warmly at her again. “You know, I do believe I can help you with more than just seeing him. I have a friend, another magister, who lives in the north. He dislikes keeping slaves, and is always bemoaning the lack of good servants. If you wish, I can give you a letter to take to him; I'm sure he'd be happy to hire you and your mother on my recommendation.”

“Oh, would you really do that?” Varania exclaimed. “I can't thank you enough...”

The woman smiled. “It's the least I can do for the two of you. But come, Leto – Fenris – will be off duty soon, and then you can see him. I will take you to a room where you can wait, and I'll have the letter ready for you when you leave afterwards. Come,” she said, and rose to her feet.  


* * *

Her anxieties returned as she waited. The room was smaller and far less ornate then Hadriana's quarters had been, but was still much larger and finer then any room Varania had ever lived in. She was beginning to wonder if they had forgotten about her when the door opened, and a white-haired elf stepped into the room. It took her a moment to recognize him; Leto. So changed she wouldn't have recognized him at all, if she hadn't been expecting him. His long dark hair was gone, it was short and white instead, and his skin was covered by a tracery of curving white lines. He wore armour, dark leather mostly in differing shades of grey and black, with a wicked-looking steel chestplate, a pair of nasty-looking gauntlets held loosely in one hand.

The worst change was his eyes. They were not her Leto's warm and loving eyes. There was not a single spark of recognition in them. He looked at her as if she was a complete stranger, his gaze cool and more then a little wary.

“Mistress Hadriana sent me to see you,” he said, voice as wary as his eyes.

“Yes,” she said, and forced herself to speak. “You are... Fenris?” She could not call this person Leto; not this cold, hard, dangerous-looking stranger.

“Yes. May I ask what this is about?”

“I... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come,” she said, voice a near whisper. She wanted to leave, right now. She wanted to run. But he stood between her and the door, and it frightened her how he look so much like her Leto and yet wasn't him at all.

“Then why did you?” he asked, head cocked to one side in a gesture that broke her heart. Leto. He used to do that, too.

She drew a deep breath, feeling her hands curl into fists. “I... used to know you. Before you became Danarius' bodyguard.”

“Oh,” he said, face going blank and... sad? Yes, sad. “I'm sorry. I cannot remember anything prior to...” he paused, and shuddered, a haunted look momentarily crossing his face. “Prior to these marks being tattooed into my flesh. I... I should go,” he said, and turned away, head dropping, shoulders hunching. Just the way Leto used to look, when hurting and in need of comfort.

She stepped over to his side and put her arms around him, hugging him close. “I'm sorry,” she said, voice low and hoarse. “If I'd known my coming would hurt you... I wouldn't have come.”

He'd frozen at her touch. She could feel the tension in his body. She leaned her head against the back of his shoulder. “If I'd known it would hurt me so much, I wouldn't have come either,” she added, and then found herself sobbing.

He pushed his way out of her arms and stepped away, then hesitated and turned to face her. “Did we... love each other?” he asked.

“Yes, very much,” she told him.

He stepped closer, then slowly reached out, cupped his hand against her cheek. She looked up, and found him studying her face intently. “I'm sorry too,” he said, voice soft and low. “You are... very beautiful. I wish I could remember you. I wish I knew what makes you cry for me this way.”

She felt herself blush at the compliment. And then felt her face warm further, at the realization that he thought they'd been _lovers_ , not siblings. For a moment, his eyes were warm and caring, _Leto's_ eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him. He hesitated briefly, then his lips parted, his tongue stealing out to lick along hers. She'd only meant it to be a farewell kiss, to whatever remained of Leto in this elf named Fenris, and was shocked at the curl of warmth she felt in her belly as his tongue teased at her lips, demanding entrance. She moaned, half in fright and half in pleasure, and his tongue stole into her mouth.

His hands rose to press against her back, pulling her closer. She made a startled sound as the hard edges of his armour bit into her flesh, and he abruptly released her, stepping back again. “I'm sorry,” he said again, voice low and husky.

“So am I,” she said, blinking back tears.

For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other. If he asked her to stay... she knew she would. She would sleep with him, for the sake of seeing his eyes filled with warmth and love one last time. Even though it would be a lie. It would not be her brother's love in his eyes; it would be Fenris' momentary lust for a chance-met stranger from a forgotten past. Her Leto was gone, as surely dead as if she'd seen his corpse.

“I should go,” Fenris said, voice low and husky with desire.

She should have agreed. Should have sent him away. “Stay,” she said instead.

He swallowed, nervously, then stepped close to her. She smiled tremulously up at him, and reached to begin undoing the straps of his armour. After a moment, he brushed her shaking fingers aside, and undid them himself, watching with hunger-filled eyes as she unbuttoned her dress, slipped it down over narrow hips, stepped gracefully away from the puddle of fabric.

He was beautiful, as he'd always been. More beautiful, if anything, the strange white markings giving him an extra beauty. She hated them – the marks, his master, everything that had made him not-Leto, that had turned him into this creature named Fenris who was and was not her brother. She touched his skin, placing her hand carefully on one of the few spots where she could touch _him_ without touching the markings, just naked skin under her palm and fingers.

He kissed her again, hungrily, and bore her down to the soft rug on the floor.

* * *

  
Hadriana was waiting for her with the letter, and an unpleasant smirk on her face. “Family reunions can be _so_ disappointing,” she said. “I thank you again for telling me so much about our darling boy's past. I'm sure I'll find the information of use someday.”

Varania stared at the woman. She couldn't understand now how she'd ever trusted this... filth. But when the woman held out the letter, she still took it. If it was what she'd promised, an introduction to get Varania and her mother a good job somewhere else – then she'd use it. It would at least get her and her mother away from this city, and the ghosts of memory that haunted it. If she never came back here again, it would be too soon.

She walked out of the estate, little caring that it was dark enough to make her walk back to the alienage dangerous.

She held the letter clutched tightly in one hand, a final gift from Leto, though he knew it not.


End file.
